Bury boss Alan Knill was left to ponder what might have been after missing out on a place among football’s giants in the third round of the FA Cup.

Anyone arriving at Gigg Lane after half-time would have struggled to decide which was the team from League Two and the one competing in the Championship last year.

By then Lee Tomlin and Craig Mackail-Smith had already given Peterborough a two-goal lead.

Ryan Lowe volleyed in Mike Jones’ miscued shot just after the break to give Bury a lifeline, but that’s all it remained.

“It doesn’t matter who you’re playing, but especially if you’re playing one of the top teams from the division above, you can’t give them 2-0,” said Knill, who handed a debut to Everton loanee James Wallace.

“I thought we were excellent second half. We created lots of chances, their keeper’s made a couple of great saves and we played in their half which we didn’t do first half.

“That made a big difference. I keep saying that they’re a young team who are learning, but it’s basic stuff.

“I’m disappointed, obviously, that we’ve lost but I’ve just said to the players the test was ‘could we compete against a top team’ and I thought we did compete.

“The difference is they took their two chances and we didn’t take all of our chances because we if had, the game would have been out of sight for us.

“Their front four are probably the best in the league and it was a big test for us but it’s what could have been.”

On-loan goalkeeper Owain fon Williams was also left to rue the two first-half goals that proved the Shakers’ undoing.

The former Wales Under-21 stopper said the second-half performance left him in no doubt that Bury were well equipped to escape League Two this season.

He said: “We showed in the second-half what a good side we are.

“They’re a very good side and they’ve got some fantastic players but second half we showed our quality.”